Study of pan-Asian identity in the Netherlands
Talented UvA alumnus receives Mozaïek grant
The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded UvA alumnus Reza Kartosen a Mozaïek grant. Kartosen received the € 200,000 grant, intended for talented young alumni from ethnic minorities, in support of his doctoral research on the development of pan-Asian identities in Dutch youths of Asian descent.
The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded UvA alumnus Reza Kartosen a Mozaïek grant. Kartosen received the € 200,000 grant, intended for talented young alumni from ethnic minorities, in support of his doctoral research on the development of pan-Asian identities in Dutch youths of Asian descent.In addition to ethnic and/or national identities (such as Chinese, Korean or Dutch identities), Dutch-Asian youths also develop pan-Asian identities. Reza Kartosen is studying the application of Dutch-Asian popular culture in an attempt to establish why youths construct pan-Asian identities and the significance of these identities in terms of their cultural citizenship.
Invisible
Asians seldom feature in the broader social debate or - more specifically - the debate on integration. ‘This may well be due to the fact that they are quiet and "don't cause trouble"', says Kartosen, himself of mixed Indonesian-Indian descent. ‘In reality, however, Dutch Asians aren't fully integrated in every area of society either. In my view, they aren't "better" migrants than - for example - Dutch Moroccans. However, the outside world generally regards Dutch Asians as model migrants. This is one of the reasons they are subjected to less racism and discrimination than other groups, such as Dutch Moroccans.'‘However, Asian youths are also invisible within Dutch society. Just look at the films and television programmes on offer in the Netherlands: Dutch Asians are highly underrepresented. This is a source of frustration, as it implies the group is not recognised in Dutch society. Asian youths are eager to make themselves heard, to let people know that they're out there.'
Unexpected solidarity
In addition to an ethnic or national identity (such as a Dutch, Chinese or Korean identity) the second and third generation of Dutch-Asian youths is also developing what is known as a pan-Asian identity. In other words, they have started to refer to themselves as Asian. This could be regarded as a surprising development, if we take into account that - for example - Chinese and Korean people in Asia have just as little sense of kinship as the Dutch and the Italians. Kartosen suspects this unexpected sense of solidarity is being caused by the western countries themselves. ‘Particularly in the United States, Asian identity is thrust upon people; your nationality doesn't matter, people simply want to know whether you're Asian, Arab or European. As a result, people have made the best of the situation and united as Asians in order to gain a stronger cultural identity. Here in the Netherlands, people can't even tell the difference between Chinese, Korean or Indonesian people. This may be one of the reasons why Asian youths are becoming increasingly united.'Popular culture
The construction of a pan-Asian identity requires building blocks. As earlier studies have shown, most young people gather these building blocks from the realm of popular culture (films, the internet and nightlife). ‘Popular culture connects individuals and offers a sense of unity and "being part of something"', Kartosen explains. His research focuses on three forms of Dutch-Asian culture: Asian parties (parties aimed specifically at youths of Asian descent), websites for Dutch-Asian youths and the CinemAsia Film Festival. His research consists of observations (such as: what is the makeup of social groups at Asian parties? Are these groups of friends mixed-Asian, or do Chinese visitors interact exclusively with other Chinese and do Koreans stick with other Koreans?) and 20 in-depth interviews and 5 to 6 focus groups for each form of popular culture. In total, his research will thus comprise of 60 in-depth interviews and 15 to 18 focus groups. ‘For example, I might ask young people what they regard as their identity or identities and what they actually "get" from a website or Asian party.' Amongst other objectives, Kartosen's study was designed to establish why young Dutch Asians develop a pan-Asian identity, identify the components of this identity and the influence exerted upon it by Dutch-Asian popular culture. He is also aiming to determine the influence of this pan-Asian identity on the youths' cultural citizenship. ‘Does their "new", additional identity help them feel more at home in the Netherlands?'Lack of academic studies
Kartosen's doctoral research certainly fills a void; hardly any academic studies have been conducted on Asian groups in the Netherlands. In addition, all studies on the identity of ethnic minorities have been limited to "single" ethnic and national identities. Hardly any research has been conducted on pan-ethnic identities. ‘In spite of the fact that we are almost certain there is such a thing as a pan-Arabian or pan-African identity.'
Kartosen claims his research has the potential to serve both a social and academic purpose. ‘An increasingly common theme in the debate on integration is the demand that ethnic minorities unconditionally assume the Dutch identity. This study may well establish that it is a perfectly normal - and possibly desirable - thing to have multiple identities.'
Author: Esther van Bochove, FMG Communication department